Abstract:
This harmonized, gridded global data set of soil parameter estimates includes files listing: (1) soil parameter estimates for the component soil units of each terrestrial grid cell, in un-binned format, and (2) soil parameter estimates aggregated or binned into a number of predefined classes.

The spatial data, with a resolution of ½ by ½ degree, was derived from the ISRIC-WISE soil database. The ... land surface between longitudes -180o W and +180o E and latitudes +90o N and -90o S has been characterized using 45948 unique map units; each of these can comprise from one to ten soil units, characterized according to the original legend of the 1:5 million scale Soil Map of the World (FAO-Unesco 1974).

Soil parameter estimates for each of these units were derived from analyses of some 9600 profiles held in a working copy of WISE (ver. 2.0). Twenty-two soil variables, identified as being useful for agro-ecological zoning, land evaluation, crop growth simulation, modelling of soil gaseous emissions and analyses of global environmental change, were considered.

The parameter estimates - median values - presented here should be seen as best estimates; possible types and sources of uncertainty are discussed in the report. The data are considered appropriate for exploratory studies at global scale (< 1:5 000 000).

Access Constraints
ISRIC kindly requests that you send us two reprints of any publication that uses data received from ISRIC World Soil Information. This will help us to determine the type and level of use of the data we distribute.

Use Constraints
Materials developed by ISRIC are copyrighted, all rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of such materials for educational or non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of materials for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the ... copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to: Director, ISRIC - World Soil Information, PO Box 353, 6700 AJ Wageningen, the Netherlands or by e-mail to soil.isric@wur.org.

ISRIC requests you to acknowledge use of our data; this will allow us to gauge the interest and usefulness of our services. Please refer to the dataset documentation for suggested form of acknowledgement and correct citation.

Batjes NH and Bridges EM 1994. Potential ... emissions of radiatively active gases from soil to atmosphere with special reference to methane: development of a global database (WISE). Journal of Geophysical Research 99(D8), 16479-16489